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heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Oct 1, 2012 6:33am
Thread (disabled) Board
I just signed up for a big geocaching event at Ft. DeSoto Park near St Pete, FL, and on the page, I said I was bringing my LBing stuff to teach people who wanted to learn to make LB hybrids....

and maybe win some over to the "dark side"...mwahahahahaaaa

FL4...who goes both ways...and not afraid to shout it out!
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734644 by FloridaFour
Oct 1, 2012 12:28pm
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I got an email from a cacher today who had found one of my hybrids, and she wants to check it out! :) I pointed here over to AQ to read a little first.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734644 by FloridaFour
Oct 1, 2012 5:51pm
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What are your plans? Will you be taking some carved stamps with you? Are you going to demo how to carve a stamp?
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734850 by Lone R
Oct 1, 2012 6:36pm
Thread (disabled) Board
hehe. Yes, yes, and whatever they want to learn! I said on the Event page that for anyone interested in learning how to make a Letterbox/Geocache hybrid, I would show them how to encorporate the clues/coords so the Reviewer would approve it. I will explain Atlasquest and how it would be great if they would cross-list it over here for letterboxers to find, as well. I will bring some stamps, carving materials and tools, show them how (if they want) to make a basic stamp. I will bring one of my event boxes, that has a logbook, as an example. I'll bring my trailstamp, some personal travellers and maybe an LTC or two... (I've already enticed a few with just LTCs). I will make a simple pouch, so they will be familiar with what they look like... usually a clue that it is a letterbox, and also Lock N Locks.

I said my main objective was to help new cachers recognize a letterbox, and that I would also love to see more hybrids being made, because the "prize" of a hand carved stamp image is so neat. I showed... spoilers, pictures of some of my first letterbox stamps, as examples of what they could expect to be able to carve after only a few weeks. So they understand the stamp is not just a crudely slashed eraser.

I pointed out that there were several letterboxes in the park, and in particular one is very close to a geocache, and that I had accidentally signed the log as a geocacher before! I said how awful it would've been if I had taken the stamp, thinking how cool that handmade swag was! I will bring a few sets of clue sheets for the park's letterboxes for whoever would like to try. I told them, all they needed was a cheap stamp pad, notebook and a thumb to try it out. (or just sign their name!)

One of the committee members also letterboxes and has a nice hybrid with a custom stamp in it. He has really neat clues and theme, but at the last event I went to, he had sought me out to ask about making a stamp. I brought my stuff to show him the tools and carving material. I've been to enough events, hopefully they won't feel like I am stepping on their toes.... but honestly, this is the only way I can figure to educate... and get more letterboxers. I really think a lot of geocachers would love letterboxing if they tried, or at least the hybrids!

I'm going to search for some of those conversations about hybrids we had on the geocaching boards several months ago, and print those out as references.... They were all very helpful to me at the time.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734644 by FloridaFour
Oct 1, 2012 8:25pm
Thread (disabled) Board
A couple of years ago I planned a short camping trip for the local Mensa group, and offered a short hunt to find samples of both. One person took me up on it - but now she's an enthusiastic geocacher and wants to do a joint presentation for a monthly meeting, covering both hobbies. It's at least a couple of months away, we're just starting to talk about it.

But if you develop any presentation tips you think are worth sharing, I'm interested too!!
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734906 by WalkinOrange
Oct 1, 2012 8:27pm
Thread (disabled) Board
But if you develop any presentation tips you think are worth sharing, I'm interested too!!

Set stuff on fire. But make sure the kids scootch back first. *nodding*
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734908 by wassamatta u
Oct 1, 2012 8:30pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Wait... do what with the Scotch first??
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734906 by WalkinOrange
Oct 1, 2012 8:51pm
Thread (disabled) Board
But if you develop any presentation tips you think are worth sharing, I'm interested too!!

Yes. I would show them a half used pencil from Thomas the Tank Engine and then an image from an awesome stamp. Let them decide which one they like more.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734920 by GreatBigSabres
Oct 1, 2012 8:59pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Yes. I would show them a half used pencil from Thomas the Tank Engine and then an image from an awesome stamp. Let them decide which one they like more.

Careful. They'll take the stamp!
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734644 by FloridaFour
Oct 1, 2012 10:42pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I did that once. Complete waste of time. None of the geocachers could care less about letterboxing or stamps.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734871 by FloridaFour
Oct 1, 2012 10:43pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I would show them how to encorporate the clues/coords so the Reviewer would approve it.

I have heard somewhere on AQ that geocaching.com doesn't like links to competing sites, so I avoided that on the two crossovers that I have published: Letterbox Treasure and Letterbox Treasure II. I sort of snuck an indirect link by including a link to the Wikipedia article on letterboxing which links to both AQ and letterboxing.info, as well as other letterboxing sites. The letterboxes have the same names here.

The clue maps on both sites are similar. However, geocaching.com requires that a GPS be required to find it, so I incorporate coordinates somewhere as part of the puzzle. The letterboxing clues give directions. I include both letterboxing and geocaching logbooks, clearly labeled. There are also trinkets (which I tell the letterboxers about) and the stamp (which I tell the geocachers about).

I'd like to hear how others do crossovers. I do like incorporating variety into my clues.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734944 by Kirbert
Oct 1, 2012 10:46pm
Thread (disabled) Board
None of the geocachers could care less about letterboxing or stamps.

There's one geocacher that started letterboxing well before me, has found a lot of letterboxes and was my first exchange. There's another geocacher that started letterboxing without my intervention, but has only found two listed here. There are two others that signed up here because they found my first crossover, but haven't found any others. I'm trying to get other geocachers into it, but haven't had any success yet.

If anyone is able to get other geocachers into letterboxing let us know so that we can bring others into the fold.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734945 by Oberon_Kenobi
Oct 2, 2012 7:58am
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Here's a couple of mine. In the Great Green Room (same puzzle, solution provides LB clue or coords, depending on the site): AQ vs GC. Giant Nuclear Fireball (completely different puzzles): AQ vs GC.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #734945 by Oberon_Kenobi
Oct 2, 2012 8:30am
Thread (disabled) Board
That's true that GC admin don't like clickable links to this website or competing geocaching sites, and they will ask you to take them out if they see them. I just say, you may also log your letterbox on Atlasquest......

Thanks for the hybrids examples. I may print a few out.

So far......two emails from cachers wanting to meet with me. I also have invited a few friends with kids, who are interested.

I'm not doing a formal presentation, because the cachers include a few .... who wont want me stealing their thunder... shall we say. ;) For a few of them, it is really their day to shine, and so I just would like to sit off to the side, at a picnic table and be kinda inconspicuous..... if the committee people like it, they can ask for something more... and if they don't like it.... oh well. I will play it by ear.
continuing the conversation (hybrids)
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #735030 by FloridaFour
Oct 2, 2012 8:41am
Thread (disabled) Board
I changed the title of the post...started to seem dorky...

http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=190961

What I did for the geocaching site, is list the coords to the sign. In order to make it so they must go exactly to the sign, I made it necessary to read the sign. This was....iffy...for the reviewer, but she approved it. She allowed it because the sign is on the trail, and not right at the parking lot. Thus, they can't just park at a coordinate and follow clues from there.

My other hybrid is similar in style... the problems I've run into, is geocachers here aren't used to hybrids, and so they just grab the coords, and start searching right there... after they get nice and frustrated, they look at the hint and/or the cache page....which say "You must follow the clues after reaching the coords. Cache is not at coords"... then they feel embarrassed, but oh..well. I've had great compliments once they do find the box.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #735025 by Fish Below The Ice
Oct 2, 2012 6:40pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Here's a couple of mine.

The first pair looks like you have to be there to understand the clues. If not, then I'm totally missing what it means.

The second pair seems like simple directions, like traditional letterboxes.

These crossover letterboxes and geocache letterboxes (not crossover) are good for letting geocachers know about letterboxing. Most letterboxers know about geocaches (for good or bad).
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #735237 by Oberon_Kenobi
Oct 3, 2012 6:46am
Thread (disabled) Board
My geocache letterbox hybrid uses only the coordinates to find (on Geocaching.com). Here on Atlasquest, it uses a traditional clue/directions. Neither one references the other. Is that incorrect?
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #735314 by Water Lily
Oct 3, 2012 8:22am
Thread (disabled) Board
My geocache letterbox hybrid uses only the coordinates to find (on Geocaching.com). Here on Atlasquest, it uses a traditional clue/directions. Neither one references the other. Is that incorrect?

No, that is fine. It is actually the way the Reviewers would RATHER you do it. I've found one like this. I just like to put some aspect of following clues in mine, because honestly, some geocaches can be boring... and this makes it something new for them. The cachers seem to really like following the clues, I've had all good comments.

The main thing is GPS use must be an INTEGRAL part of a geocache. Now, for mystery caches, this is different, sometimes. But for letterbox hybrids in particular, the reviewers want to make sure the GPS must be used. Sometimes I make them go most of the way down a trail before they start the clue part.
Re: heheheeheee
Board: Geocaching and Other Stashing Games
Reply to: #735025 by Fish Below The Ice
Oct 5, 2012 6:02am
Thread (disabled) Board
Loved, loved, loved In the Great Green Room, still a favorite though its been outgrown. Very cool clue!

meerdibeest